I want to begin this piece by saying my dating days are well behind me. Back when I was single there were no mobile phones, no Facebook or Tinder.
You saw someone you were attracted to, went up to them and spoke to them. It seemed quite simple.
If you hit it off then you went on a date, maybe dinner, the movies or a bar. If that went well, there might be a fourth or fifth date.
This is the crucial time - when you likely haven't fully committed to the relationship and are still scoping it out. A successful night could seal it - or not, if that's what you want.
Something I always found worked well was inviting your would-be girlfriend around for dinner - nothing too formal, an I'll-throw-something-together-type vibe.
What you cook is essential.
You want something that is a lot easier to make than it looks. You want to be busy in the kitchen, but not so busy you can't pour a glass of wine, or feign interest in some story from her day about someone she works with.
Thai green chicken curry is the perfect dish for the night. You can pre-prepare a lot of it; it takes five minutes to cook, looks great, tastes even better and the fragrant mix of herbs and spices is the perfect aphrodisiac.
It is essential you make your own paste, which is listed below. The blend of garlic and ginger used is an aromatic aphrodisiac, while chilli has its own property. It mustn't be too hot, but the right blend of chilli works a treat.
It sends a message to your brain your mouth is on fire - that's the heat.
Your brain then puts it out and releases endorphins to help you relax. You also drink a little wine to help cool things down.
You get the picture.
It also tastes great. And if there is one thing guaranteed to impress a female, it's a man who can throw a tasty dish together.
I still throw together a green chicken curry these days, but now it's for my wife. But we still reminisce on me cooking it for her before she was my wife.
Recipe
For the paste:
- Three cloves of garlic
- Chunk of ginger about the size of a golf ball
- 1-2 large chillies
- Coriander bunch
- Juice of one lemon
- Juice of two limes
Method:
Chuck it all in a blender and hit the "on" button.
For the curry:
- Handful of lime leaves (most supermarkets do them)
- Tablespoon of brown sugar
- Two red capsicums
- 2-3 tablespoons of fish sauce
- Enough diced chicken for two
- One tin of coconut cream
- One tin of coconut milk
- Handful of chopped coriander
- Juice of one lemon
- Juice of two limes
Method:
Heat a deep frying pan or saucepan on a medium heat, not too hot and add some olive oil.
Slice the capsicums into slices - a tip is to pull out the stalk and stand the capsicum up on that end. Then cut the sides off and you get four flat pieces that are easy to slice. Gently fry them for a couple of minutes until the soften and smell sweet.
Add the paste, the smell is sensational. Fry for another two minutes then add the coconut cream and milk. Stir the pan so it turns green. Add the lime leaves, the fish sauce and the sugar. If it tastes too sweet add another tablespoon of fish sauce.
Drop in the chicken and cook for around five minutes. The sauce should be bubbling very gently, not too much. Test a piece of chicken by cutting it in half to make sure it isn't pink - you don't want to give your date food poisoning.
Once the chicken is cooked, add the lime and lemon juice, turn off the heat and let it sit for a few minutes.
Serve with microwaved basmati rice and the chopped coriander.
Enjoy the rest of your night. You're welcome.
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